T5 lights

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Bigmak1

New Member
Hi everyone, was wondering if anybody here has experience with these? Was maybe thinking of using for 6-8 (?) plants in a 1.2x1.2x2m tent? And any idea which wattage would be best for this? Thank you!
 
RIKNSTEIN

RIKNSTEIN

Well-Known Member
T5s are great for veg...but you need quite a few of them...going with CFLs and T5 light bars you will need a minimum of 120w per plant...that's actual watts not equivalents...and put them about 2 inches away from the plants....you wont need many at first, but the bigger they get the more light you will need...I used to grow with CFLs and T5 light bars...the CFLs work better than the T5s IMO....but once you get an HID you wont look back...good luck man and welcome to RIU...and read my friend read...
 
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Bigmak1

New Member
Thank you, i have been reading loads online, but the many different opinions leave me head scratching lol, have also looked at 600 watt hps lights, would these be more productive in this sized space? Also, i have 1plant which i have just changed to 12/12, its in a makeshift tent under 2 flourescent tubes(1 blue 1 green day glo fishtank lights) it has has come on (from clone) in leaps and bounds and was wondering if its worth taking clones from? Or would they be substandard due to lighting? Can post pics if it helps, cheers
 
lilroach

lilroach

Well-Known Member
T5 HO's are great for veg, but the problem with this and any floros is the limited penetration they offer. I had a T5 HO set-up in flower and it wasn't until I put a light-meter under them did I understand their limitations. Once you get more than 4-5" away, the meter readings drop very quickly. I did the same for my 600w HPS and I could go all the way to the floor (about 4') and the meter was still pegged all the way over.

Sure, you can add a bunch of CFL's to side-light your plants, but then you end up having to deal with heat issues anyway.....so it's my opinion to veg with T5's and flower with HPS.

I guess it depends on how big you plan on growing your plants and how many you want to grow.
 
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Bigmak1

New Member
Hthanks lilroach, think i'll look at at the hps instead :) could i do 6-8 under 1 light or would i nedd 2?
 
Adjorr

Adjorr

Well-Known Member
6-8 plants and your looking at needing a 600w or 1000w HID setup complete with ventilation, HID lamps need to be kept cool. In my opinion LEDs are the best light source for small spaces, although the initial startup cost can be much higher you need less ventilation and less energy which can save you money on equipment and power bills in the long run
 
lilroach

lilroach

Well-Known Member
I have 8 plants under a mix of 400w MH and 600w HPS in sealed Easycool6 fixtures on a light-mover. You don't need a light-mover (they're really great though as I could grow more under it if I had room), but 1,000w is a good number for 8 plants. You will need to vent your room as these lights are very hot. I use two 248 CFM inline (booster) fans to cool my lights and my room is a comfy 78 degrees (I vent them outside the room).
 
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Jbone77

Well-Known Member
I think it all depends on how you want to grow. If you want to top multiple times with an extended veg time or train with an extended veg time and have a short plant with many smaller tops then led or flouros are great, if you want a 3-4 week veg and have fewer larger buds then hid is the way to go. Flouros and led will produce as well as a basic horizontal hid but your veg time will be twice as long.
 
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Bigmak1

New Member
I had 2 18 inch square led light boards and i gave them thinking they were crap before i ever used them, is it worth trying to get them back? Think they were only cheap ones tho
 
Adjorr

Adjorr

Well-Known Member
no the cheap ones or crap don't use em, the less then 1w bulbs provide nearly 0 penetration and really aren't good for growing at all. For a good LED u want 3w bulbs or better and a color spectrum tuned for growing with
 
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